Masonry walls, used in building various structures, often consist of two separate wythes. An external masonry wythe may be a brick wall while an internal wythe may be concrete block or structural steel studs over which is stretched a vapour barrier. The vapour barrier may be drywall coated with rubber or sheet metal. If insulation is used, the insulation is installed between the internal and external wythes and preferably abuts the internal wythe so that an air space exists between the insulation and the external wythe. In constructing masonry walls, it is necessary to connect the internal wythe to the external wythe through the insulation.
Up until this invention, a few connectors have been used to connect an internal wythe and an external masonry wythe. One connector includes a screw having an eyelet head. The screw is drilled through the insulation and screwed into the internal wythe. A tie wire is inserted through the eyelet head and extends along an exterior coursing of the external wythe. A nut, placed on the threaded end of the screw after it is screwed through the steel stud, increases the holding strength of the connector. However, this operation requires that a workman manipulating a screw outwardly of the insulation must accurately locate and hit the stud behind the insulation. This is a not easily accomplished. The nut cannot be applied to the screw if the connector is misaligned, if the thread of the screw is inaccessible, or if the screw has altogether missed the stud. If the nut cannot be used, or if the workman chooses not to use the nut, the tensile strength of anchorage of this connector is not sufficient for connecting many masonry walls.
Other connectors are used to tie masonry veneer walls to metal or wood studs. The tensile strength of anchorage of such connectors, though, is not sufficient for some types of masonry walls.
In addition to connecting the internal wythe to the external wythe, it is advisable to retain the insulation against the internal wythe while the external wythe is being constructed and to permanently space such insulation away from the external wythe to provide for an air gap.
A construction which has been used for this includes a glue pad having a nail projecting from the glue pad. The glue pad is glued to the outer face of the internal wythe and the insulation is poked on to the nail and is held in place by a retaining washer. If the washer does not hold, however, the insulation creeps away from the internal wythe towards the external wythe reducing the air space which should exist between the insulation and the external wythe. Further, the insulation holder and the connector are two separate items requiring separate installation steps.
Thus, a need exists for a masonry connector which can be conveniently and reliably used in constructing an external masonry wall to an internal wythe, such as a structural steel stud, and which holds the insulation in place so that an air space between the insulation and external wythe is maintained. It would be preferable if the connector did not require the user to poke blindly through insulation to hit a steel stud, did not require a separate holder to retain the insulation against the internal wythe, and did not require a nut to achieve sufficient tensile strength of anchorage. Furthermore, the components of the connector should remain integral over the life span of the building so that the connector could be confidently used in masonry construction.